Sound clips and movies require Adobe Flash player. Latin nameAnser brachyrhynchus FamilySwans, ducks and geese (Anatidae) OverviewThe pink-footed goose is a medium-sized goose, smaller than a mute swan but bigger than a mallard. It is pinkish grey with a dark head and neck, a pink bill and pink feet and legs. This species does not breed in the UK, but large numbers of birds spend the winter here, arriving from their breeding grounds in Spitsbergen, Iceland and Greenland. Numbers in England are on the increase, particularly in Norfolk, probably due to better protection at winter roosts. Where to see themLarge estuaries, such as on the east Scottish coast, The Wash, the Ribble and the Solway, or on surrounding farmland where birds go in the day to feed. When to see themThey arrive in the UK in October and depart in April. What they eatGrain, winter cereals, potatoes and grass. Estimated numbers| Europe | UK breeding* | UK wintering* | UK passage* |
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| - | - | 241,000 individual birds | - |
* UK breeding is the number of pairs breeding annually. UK wintering is the number of individuals present from October to March. UK passage is the number of individuals passing through on migration in spring and/or autumn. Distribution
Please note that the map is only intended as a guide. It shows general distribution rather than detailed, localised populations. Find out more
Audio is from commercial recordings Bird Songs and Calls of Britain and Europe on 4 CDs or Bird Sounds of Europe & North-west Africa, copyright WildSounds & CEBA (www.wildsounds.com, (UK) +44 (0) 1263 741100) |